Audi moves prologue Avant a step further

Next week, Audi will launch the new 3-litre TDI prologue Avant show car at the Geneva Motor Show.

This concept will offer another glimpse into the future of Audi design four months after the premium manufacturer showed its visionary Audi prologue coupé concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The prologue Avant brings progressive technology, lightweight construction and permanent all-wheel drive quattro. The large five-door car with its stretched roof and flat D-pillar design reflects Audi quattro genes.

With a length of 5.11m, a wheelbase of 3.04m, a width of 1.97m and a height of 1.4m, the prologue Avant is larger than the two-door coupé Audi prologue. Four individual seats, four doors and a large tailgate round off the concept.

The plug-in hybrid drive of the prologue Avant is almost identical to the powertrain in the Audi Q7 e-tron quattro to be launched in summer 2015.

The 3-litre TDI engine installed in the prologue Avant has a maximum output of 353PS, and an electric motor integrated in the eight-speed Tiptronic transmission contributes up to 100kW.

System output therefore is 455PS, while system torque is 750Nm (553.2lbft). The eight‑speed Tiptronic transmission directs engine power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive to give “superior drive characteristics in any situation”.

Audi is claiming the show car can accelerate from 0 to 62 mile/h in 5.1s. Its top speed is limited to 155 mile/h. The prologue Avant is said to be capable of returning up to 176mile/gal combined according to the NEDC standard for plug-in hybrid vehicles – corresponding to 43 grams of carbon emissions per kilometre.

The lithium-ion battery pack in the rear storing 14.1 kWh of energy gives the car a range of 33.6 miles in pure electric drive mode.

With its AWC (Audi wireless charging) technology which Audi is developing for volume production, the battery can also be charged inductively.

AWC technology provides energy from a floor plate which is connected to the power grid and which can be embedded on or into asphalt. This plate integrates a primary coil and an inverter (AC/AC converter).

When active, this coil induces a magnetic field of alternating current. On the basis of state-of-the-art technology, Audi uses 3.6kW of power as provided by a wall socket with a maximum of 16A of charging current.